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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2007-11-26 Committee of the Whole MinutesTUKWILA CITY COUNCIL November 26, 2007 7:00 pm Council Chambers City Hall COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE CALL TO ORDER/PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE Council President Verna Griffin called the meeting to order at 7:04 pm and led the audience in the Pledge of Allegiance. OFFICIALS Present were Verna Griffin, Council President; Councilmembers Joe Duffie, Joan Hernandez, Pam Carter, Jim Haggerton, Pam Linder, and Dennis Robertson. ATTENDANCE Steve Mullet, Mayor; Rhonda Berry, City Administrator; Viki Jessop, Administrative Services Director; Jack Pace, Community Development Director; Rebecca Fox, Senior Planner; Bob Giberson, Acting City Engineer; Gail Labanara, Public Works Analyst; Mary Miotke, IT Manager; Jane Cantu, City Clerk; Kimberly Matej, Council Analyst; Barbara Saxton, Administrative Support Coordinator CITIZEN COMMENT There were no citizen comments. SPECIAL ISSUES a. 2008 Water, Sewer, and Surface Water Rates, Councilmember Hernandez indicated this item was discussed at the Utilities Committee on October 16, 2007. The committee members were unanimous in recommending approval. Moderate increases to the City's water, sewer, and surface water rates are required in order to meet operational and capital expenditures for their corresponding enterprise funds. It was noted that without any proposed increases, the water fund would begin showing a negative balance in 2008, the sewer fund would start showing a negative balance in 2009, and accumulated reserves would grow dangerously low. Clarification was made that the proposed 2008 CIP, which has already been reviewed, does include these increases. The majority of these rate increases are the result of pass- through increases from the City's suppliers. The matrix of proposed utility rate increases reflected a 10% increase in water rates (which would equal $3.10 per month for an average residential household using 10 ccf of water). This is the result of an increase of approximately 9% in rates from Cascade Water Alliance. King County sewer treatment rates (a flat rate per residential customer of $27.95 per month) will remain the same for 2008. The City of Tukwila's sewer rates would increase 15 from a flat rate of $8.80 to $10.12 ($1.32 per month increase), resulting in a monthly (residential) sewer bill of $38.07 per month. The King County Metro (sewer) capacity charge shown in the matrix would be assessed for any new sewer hook -up at a monthly rate of $46.25 for 15 years. Surface water rates would increase 15% for 2008, which would equate to an increase from $62.00 to $71.00 (an approximate increase of $0.75 per month). COUNCIL CONSENSUS EXISTED TO FORWARD THIS ITEM TO THE NEXT REGULAR MEETING. City of Tukwila Page 2 of 10 Citv Council Committee of the Whole Minutes Novembert 26, 2007 b. An ordinance regarding domestic partner benefits. Councilmember Haggerton indicated this item was discussed at the Finance Safety Committee meeting on November 19, 2007. The committee members were unanimous in recommending approval. Earlier this year Council asked the Mayor to have staff review the issue of extending benefits to regular full -time and part-time employees' domestic partners and their dependent children. These benefits would include medical, dental, vision, sick leave, bereavement leave, and family medical leave act benefits. Viki Jessop, Administrative Services Director, explained the recommendation being presented could increase enrollment by a maximum of 3 which would equate to a cost of $50,000 per year. Survey data provided by Healthcare Management Administrators, however, shows enrollment is usually significantly less (1 to 2 Ms. Jessop confirmed this is an optional benefit for employees who are not married and meet the eligibility requirements as defined in the proposed ordinance. By law, gender of the domestic partner is irrelevant. Revisions would be made to the City's personnel policies, and the proposed information has been submitted to the unions for review. The bargaining units have a right to negotiate any mitigating issues, and none have asked to do that. Based on the City's review of the federal COBRA regulations, domestic partners would not be eligible for COBRA benefits at this time. Councilmember Robertson requested Council be supplied with a copy of the City affidavit form that would be used as an alternate means of eligibility. Greg Sherlock, 12435 Pacific Hwy. South, Tukwila, stated he is opposed to the ordinance from a financial aspect. Although the anticipated cost to the City is not a large amount, these little amounts add up. He mentioned several recent meetings at which Councilmembers proposed new services or discussed impending financial issues the City will be facing, and noted that rate increases such as those discussed this evening for water and sewer do affect residents. If the City is going to hold the line on dollars spent every year, it needs to start with limiting new expenditures. Trina Cook, 17939 50th Ave. S., SeaTac, clarified she was here representing herself and not her union or department. The issue of domestic partner benefits has been talked about many times during her employment with the City, and is an important matter to her personally for long -term job satisfaction. She is glad to see the issue progressing and looks forward to seeing it finalized. There was discussion among Council that this was an equal rights issue and a matter of fairness. They also noted the City needs to stay competitive with other cities in order to retain employees. Council expressed their appreciation for those who expressed their opinions on this issue. COUNCIL CONSENSUS EXISTED TO FORWARD THIS ITEM TO THE NEXT REGULAR MEETING. c. A resolution amending the Non Represented Employees' Salary Schedule. Councilmember Haggerton indicated this item was discussed at the Finance Safety Committee meeting on November 19, 2007. The committee members were unanimous in recommending approval. Every other year the City conducts a non represented wage study to verify employee wages based on external comparability (other cities) and internal equity (union pay scales). The resulting non represented wage schedule is a result of the subsequent design band methodology and regression line analysis and a review related to the cost -of- living adjustments for all City employees in relation to the non represented employees. The 4.24% cost increase overall equates to approximately $14,719 per month. These numbers are reflected in the proposed 2008 budget. During review of this issue at the Finance Safety Committee, Councilmember Robertson asked for information on the minimum and maximum change for the affected employees that would result from this proposal. Ms. Jessop provided those figures as follows: a minimum increase of 3.42 and a maximum increase of 6.8 City of Tukwila Page 3 of 10 City Council Committee of the Whole Minutes Novembert 26. 2007 In response to questions from Council, Ms. Jessop explained she feels the design band methodology for the position classifications is very sound. One difficulty with linear regression is that positions with lower salaries do not keep up well in comparison with union positions. The City's pay philosophy is the mid- range average of comparable jurisdictions, with a goal of being responsible to taxpayers, while also being able to recruit fairly and maintain employees. The question of reestablishment of merit raises for non represented employees was also raised by the Finance Safety Committee. That program is not included in this proposal, but the option is still retained in the ordinance as a future possibility. Anna Bernhard, 14241 59th Ave. S., Tukwila, questioned the inclusion of "secretary" in the title of the Civil Service Secretary/Examiner position, based on her observations of the work and responsibilities associated with that job. COUNCIL CONSENSUS EXISTED TO FORWARD THIS ITEM TO THE NEXT REGULAR MEETING. d. Comprehensive Plan amendments briefing. Rebecca Fox, Senior Planner, explained that tonight will consist of a briefing to review Comprehensive Plan amendments, the Zoning Code and Zoning Maps. An Erratum Sheet was distributed to correct a page in the notebooks that were provided to Council under separate cover. This year there are three Comprehensive Plan amendments for consideration, two of which were reviewed by Council in March before going to the Planning Commission for recommendations. A third amendment was submitted in August as an emergency amendment, and the Planning Commission held a public hearing in October. There are no Community Affairs Parks Committee meeting minutes as the November 13 meeting was cancelled due to lack of quorum. However, the issue was reviewed with those committee members at a later date. Notices of all the public hearings were published, and mailings were sent to a radius of 500 feet around those site specific areas (which is beyond statutory requirements). Any sites with potential changes were also posted. An additional informal "open house" meeting is also scheduled for Thursday, November 29, 2007, from 4:00 to 6:30 pm. After the scheduled public hearing on this issue on December 3, Council may adopt any amendment, adopt a modified version of a proposed amendment, or reject a proposed amendment. Consideration of these amendments is a legislative action, and any contested decision can be appealed to the Superior Court. Tab 1 in notebooks: Comprehensive Plan Amendment L06 -093, is a request from the City of Tukwila to modify an existing policy for siting of a future transit center. Current policy says a future transit center should be sited "on Andover Park West, between Baker Boulevard and Strander Boulevard." In order to provide greater flexibility in selecting a location and to get better information, it was suggested this area be broadened. Staff recommended revising policy 13.4.8 in order "to locate a pedestrian friendly transit center and related amenities on or near Andover Park West." The Planning Commission recommended expanding the area for consideration even more, as follows: "in the area north of Minkler, in the Tukwila Urban Center...". Councilmember Robertson stated he agrees with extending the area, but feels the area "north of Minkler" is too broad, and recommends "Tukwila Urban Center north of Strander Boulevard." Among his reasons are: City of Tukwila Page 4 of 10 City Council Committee of the Whole Minutes Novembert 26 2007 1. The most likely place people would be riding buses to and from is the mall (north of Strander). 2. This transit center should fit into the same walking pattern as the projected Sounder train station, pathway, and bridge. 3. The greater the area being considered, the greater the staff time that will be needed to analyze all possible locations. Discussion among Councilmembers included supporting the Planning Commission's recommendation "in the area north of Minkler to maintain a broad, long -term vision when considering a site; the possibility of creating a short street (off limits to cars) for the transit center, such as that in use in Bellevue; and reserving further opinion until after hearing comments at the public hearing on December 3. Tab 2 in notebooks: Comprehensive Plan Amendment L06 -095, L06 -096. The applicant, John Muth, would like to redesignate a portion of his property from Residential Commercial Center to Low Density Residential. The property is located at So. 144th and 51st Ave. So., and is vacant nursery property adjacent to and associated with Bonsai Northwest. Staff and the Planning Commission agreed to recommend approval of this change on the condition the applicant file an application for a boundary line adjustment within 90 days of the rezone. In response to a question from Councilmember Hernandez, Ms. Fox confirmed there was an error in the following language (under "Findings" on page 64 of the agenda packet): "The applicant proposes to connect future residential development directly to 51st Avenue South and to the adjacent South 146th Street cul -de -sac via an existing easement with adjacent property owners." The wording should read "...and to the adjacent South 145th Street cul -de- sac... Tab 3 in notebooks: Comprehensive Plan Amendment L07 -066, L07 -067, is a request to redesignate approximately 34 acres of land from Manufacturing /Industrial Center -Heavy (MIC -H) to Light Industrial (LI). This property (known as Associated Grocers) is immediately south of Boeing Field. The total site is actually 64 acres, which is split between Seattle and Tukwila. Once the Associated Grocers lease ends, the applicant would like to redevelop the site for mixed -used development, which would likely include hotel and lodging, office, and entertainment uses, as well as some light industrial. The Planning Commission concurred with staff's recommendation to approve the rezone from MIC -H to LI with several conditions that have to do with the impacts of future development: 1. Development over a certain size would come to the DCD Director for review. 2. The threshold for full design review will be for commercial light industrial (a lower threshold than that for light industrial review). 3. The City would amend the Zoning Code to allow heights of 10 stories where appropriate on the site. Discussion continued regarding additional issues resulting from the property lying partly in Tukwila and partly in Seattle. An interlocal agreement with the City of Seattle will be required, which will be developed and brought before Council during the first part of next year. The original desire was that the boundary be changed; however, that process was expected to take a significant amount of time, and the solution was for an amendment that is most compatible with Seattle's zoning and a line dividing the site. The interlocal agreement will specify what authority the City would have; preliminary discussion inferred Tukwila would be the lead on all permitting for the entire parcel so it would be developed in a comprehensive manner. In addition, there would be a coordinated approach to design review. The applicant also agreed to a much more extensive traffic analysis, looking at impacts to our standards as well as Seattle's standards. It was noted that a boundary adjustment may still be an option in the future. City of Tukwila Page 5 of 10 City Council Committee of the Whole Minutes Novembert 26. 2007 In response to a question from Councilmember Haggerton, Ms. Fox clarified the piece of property shown on Figure 3 north of S. Norfolk St. (with the notation "Added 8/30/07 was initially not included in the amendment, was then added, and was then removed again. This figure is reflective of what went before the Planning Commission, but that piece is no longer part of the rezone. e. Proposed resolution increasing land use fees. Councilmember Linder indicated this item was discussed at the Community Affairs Parks Committee meeting on October 9, 2007. The committee members were unanimous in recommending approval. Jack Pace, Community Development Director, explained the figures shown in the proposed resolution reflect a 4 percent increase in land use permit and processing fees, which is reflective of the Mayor's proposed 2008 budget calling for a 4 percent increase for general operations expenditures. A review of the fees and adjustments are done annually in order to avoid the dramatic increases that occur when they are reviewed less frequently. A comparison with other cities was done approximately 4 years ago. Last year the increase was 3 percent. It was also noted the fees only cover a portion of the costs associated with the review of land use applications, as it was felt the process was a partnership between the applicant and the City. COUNCIL CONSENSUS EXISTED TO FORWARD THIS ITEM TO THE NEXT REGULAR MEETING. f. Proposed ordinance increasing building permit fees. Councilmember Linder indicated this item was discussed at the Community Affairs Parks Committee meeting on October 9, 2007. The committee members were unanimous in recommending approval. Mr. Pace explained the proposed ordinance reflects a 4 percent increase fees for building, mechanical, plumbing and fuel -gas piping permits for the years 2008 and 2009. (The electrical code was just adopted this year so no increase in electrical permits is proposed.) The 2006 codes were adopted in 2007 and the 2010 codes will be adopted in 2011, so these adjustments are required to remain current in the interim. COUNCIL CONSENSUS EXISTED TO FORWARD THIS ITEM TO THE NEXT REGULAR MEETING. g. Authorize the Mayor to sign a contract with M.J. Durkan for 2008 lobbying services in the amount of $4,000.00 per month (plus expenses). Councilmember Haggerton indicated this item was discussed at the Finance Safety Committee meeting on November 19, 2007. This item was moved forward to the Committee of the Whole with two- thirds approval of the Finance Safety Committee. Mr. Durkan is the City's lobbyist in Olympia for Washington State matters. The contract amount is the same as the prior year. A few minor adjustments were made to the language to read "shall be $4,000 per month" (rather than "shall not exceed $4,000 and to require invoices to include detailed information on services performed relative to each monthly billing. There were also concerns regarding the "Conflict of Interest" paragraph on page 2 of the contract. Councilmember Robertson felt this might be a good time to explore what other lobbyists do, what other choices may be available, and whether we are paying more than other cities for the same level of activity. He would be interested in having other firms present their services —if not this year, then sometime during 2008. The $50,000 fee paid each year for these services is a considerable sum of money. Councilmember Linder questioned whether the city has been adequately served by this contract. The tasks specified in the Scope of Services on page 5 of the contract are: 1. Work with Tukwila officials, King County elected officials, and State elected officials to facilitate the Tukwila Valley South annexation and development. 2. Work with local, regional and state officials on general matters of interest to the City of Tukwila. 3. Notify the Tukwila Mayor's Office of emerging issues of importance to the City. City of Tukwila Page 6 of 10 City Council Committee of the Whole Minutes Novembert 26, 2007 As the Tukwila South annexation and development has been a priority for the City for the past few years, Ms. Linder found it surprising that the City received a letter from State Senator Margarita Prentice on October 4, 2007. Senator Prentice appeared to be very familiar with Segale's premise regarding the Tukwila South issues, but unaware of the City of Tukwila's position. Based on the response from Senator Prentice, it would seem the City was not well represented on this issue with State officials. It was pointed out that one of the Council's 2007 goals was to approve a development agreement on Tukwila South that benefits the city, and both the Governor and Senator Prentice had a big role in securing $14 million dollars in funding for Southcenter Parkway. Continuing discussion included: when the best timing might be to allow a new firm to be brought up to speed or when other firms may be tied up in other contracts the possibility of having separate representation on the Tukwila South issue the possibility of changing the scope of work in the contract whether there would be any advantage to authorizing only a six -month contract and then reviewing the issue again in the middle of next year whether the Mayor had any knowledge of a potential conflict of interest on the part of Mr. Durkan regarding this project Mayor Mullet stated that he would not be forwarding this contract for approval if he felt there was any conflict of interest. On a separate levy issue at the County level where there appeared to be a potential conflict of interest, the Mayor talked to Mr. Durkan and the matter was resolved immediately. He has also asked Mr. Durkan directly if he is in the employ of the Segale family, and the response was in the negative. Last year Mr. Durkan brought the City about $500,000 (for his $50,000 fee), and approximately $10 million dollars over the two prior years in conjunction with the Segale project. Mr. Durkan does report to the Mayor's office, but the Mayor suggested it might be beneficial for Mr. Durkan to make a periodic report directly to the Council. Anna Bernhard, 14241 59th Ave. S., Tukwila, noted that since Council held a similar discussion during review of this contract last year, it may be time to investigate other options. COUNCIL CONSENSUS EXISTED TO FORWARD THIS ITEM TO THE NEXT REGULAR MEETING. 9:15.30 pm Council President Griffin declared a five minute recess. 9:26.45 pm Council President Griffin re- convened the Committee of the Whole meeting h. 2008 Council budget goals. Council President Griffin introduced some points for consideration during discussion of Council goals for 2008, including the City's mission statement, description of City Council's authority (as stated on the City's website), and two statements regarding goals: Make sure the goal you are working for is something you really want, not just something that sounds good. Can the goal be accomplished by the Council? Is it something that we, as a group, can attain? A third statement was suggested by Councilmember Robertson and agreed to as follows: Is the Council willing to work towards accomplishing the goal? Council President Griffin facilitated a review of the Council's 2007 Goals that were identified as incomplete. She noted there was no limit to the number of goals, and the list was flexible and could be City of Tukwila Page 7 of 10 City Council Committee of the Whole Minutes Novembert 26. 2007 amended later as needed. Mayor Mullet suggested it might be beneficial to monitor the number of goals assigned to each Council sub committee to ensure they can be worked through and accomplished in addition to the regular heavy workloads of those committees. Adopt policies that address safety, land use, and appearance issues on Tukwila International Boulevard. Discussion included the opinion this item may be more appropriate for a staff work plan; the land use and appearance issues are already coming to fruition and the safety issues are currently being addressed with other jurisdictions; and the scope may be too broad. Move forward as a goal? No. Adopt policies to improve housing stock for both single- and multi family housing. Discussion addressed the fact that the issue is currently being discussed in the Community Affairs Parks Committee, including the rental licensing issue, and staff will be bringing additional information forward in February. Move forward as a goal? No. Develop residential neighborhood improvement policies that address streets, sidewalks, lighting and storm water. Discussion included whether this item was brought forward during past discussions of undergrounding; the scope is too broad and overlaps several committees; the possibility of limiting it to "parking in neighborhood commercial zones (NCC and RCC);" and that the main issues are already being addressed by the Planning Department. Move forward as a goal? No. Approve a developer's agreement that benefits the City and facilitates the annexation of Tukwila Valley South. It was agreed this was still desired if it benefits the City. Move forward as a goal? Yes. 2007 Focus Item Focus on providing broader access to information electronically. It was agreed this item was already being addressed by the City Clerk's office. Move forward as a goal? No. 2007 Exploration Item Continue to evaluate personal technology options to improve council effectiveness. Discussion included whether all Councilmembers are in agreement on specific technology items that had been proposed previously and whether that would change with the new Councilmembers in 2008; using budgeted money to run a test program with a laptop; and ensuring an e -mail system that works for all Councilmembers. Move forward as a goal? Yes. Seek out opportunities for Councilmembers to further their knowledge, experience and awareness of the different cultures represented within the Tukwila community. (It was noted the bulleted items listed under this goal are suggested action items only, and do not have to be a part of the goal.) Discussion included the concept that "a well governed city understands who they govern." Suggestions to facilitate this concept for the City's elected officials included training specifically City of Tukwila Page 8 of 10 City Council Committee of the Whole Minutes Novembert 26. 2007 tailored to Tukwila, books and other diversity training materials, and opportunities for interaction between elected officials and citizens. Kathy Hougardy, 14950 57th Ave. S., suggested an initial training be scheduled for early in the year, and the idea brainstormed further at the Council's retreat. Gerry Myklebust, 14718 58th Ave. S., stated that a goal, by definition, is generally a broad statement, and you may only know you have accomplished your goal by identifying objectives. He recommended Council keep their goals, but come up with objectives that can be completed and quantified for each of them. De Sean Quinn, 4636 S. 150th Street, applauded the Council for taking up this issue, and felt it sends a positive message to the citizens who live here. A suggestion was made to add the following as an additional bullet (action item) under this goal: "Seek out opportunities for culturally competent training tailored for our community." Rhonda Berry, City Administrator, also suggested contacting the cities of Bellevue and Auburn, as they have comparably diverse populations and aggressive diversity programs and may be able to provide good information for discussion at the Council retreat. Move forward as a goal? Yes. Support the implementation of programs and services that provide a sense of stability, community and unity throughout Tukwila's residential neighborhoods. In addition to programs already being held in the City, such as block parties and neighborhood cleanups, new ideas were discussed, including a weekly coffee hour for citizens to meet with Councilmembers and other possibilities suggested in the National League of Cities publication entitled, "Can a Small City be Cool A suggestion was made to delete the words "the implementation of," so the goal would read, "Support programs and services that provide... Move forward as a goal? Yes. Develop and lobby a legislative agenda. Move forward as a goal? Yes. Work with surrounding municipalities who have jurisdiction over Highway 99 to ensure a common set of ordinances are utilized and enforced encouraging conformity and lawful unity along the highway communities. Discussion addressed the need to add "Military Road" to the goal and to be specific on issues we share with SeaTac, Des Moines, Federal Way, and possibly Kent. Councilmember Carter suggested changing the wording to read, "Work together in cooperation with nearby cities to address common problems in the Highway 99 corridor and Military Road." Move forward as a goal? Yes. Provide legislative support and encouragement to Tukwila residents living in rental communities through programs that hold owners and /or property managers accountable for providing safe places to live. Discussion included various safe housing and rental housing licensing programs in Kent, Des Moines, and Pasco, as well as the City of Tukwila's Crime -Free Multi- Housing Program. It was noted that a case has been filed against the City of Des Moines regarding their crime -free multi housing program, which added penalties for various violations. City of Tukwila Page 9 of 10 City Council Committee of the Whole Minutes Novembert 26. 2007 Gerry Myklebust, 14718 58th Ave. S., stated the difference between Des Moines' program and Kent's program is that the City of Kent created theirs on a cooperative basis with the Rental Housing Association of Puget Sound. Continued discussion suggested concentrating on implementation of the rental housing licensing program aspect only at this time, in cooperation with the Rental Housing Association. A suggestion was made to add additional wording to the end of the phrase so it read, "Provide legislative support and encouragement to Tukwila residents living in rental communities through programs that hold owners and /or property managers accountable for providing safe places to live through the implementation of a rental licensina program." Move forward as a goal? Yes. Implement an on -going tracking system for citizen complaints and concerns in order to establish process that allows us to refer current and past issues to see that they have been followed up on or resolved. Councilmember Carter suggested changing the wording to read, "Adopt a system for tracking progress and resolution of citizen complaints and concerns that are brought to Council's attention." Move forward as a goal? Yes. Support efforts to locate a permanent City -owned Neighborhood Resource Center in a visible location on the Tukwila Village site. Discussion included whether this item should be included in the RFP only, or also listed as a goal; the benefits of a City -owned facility versus leasing space; and the possibility of deleting the words "City- owned" from the goal. Move forward as a goal? Yes. Councilmember Robertson referred to his memorandum to Council dated November 19, 2007, and suggested the goals be assigned to specific committees and the committee chairs be required to report back quarterly to the full Council. It was also agreed that all of the agreed -upon items would be labeled as "goals" (i.e. no "focus items," "exploration items," or "special attention items COUNCIL CONSENSUS EXISTED TO FORWARD THIS ITEM TO THE NEXT REGULAR MEETING. REPORTS a. Mayor Mayor Mullet had left the meeting. b. City Council Councilmember Duffie commented on an e-mail received about two dogs that are frightening residents in their neighborhood. Rhonda Berry, City Administrator, stated the Police Department reported they had received one call in 2006 about this situation, but the City has not yet heard back from King County Animal Control. She also explained there can be a problem because sometimes the calls are logged by the address of the people calling and not the address where the dog resides. Al Dams of King County Animal Control is still on vacation this week, but the County is still trying to gather information. City of Tukwila Page 10 of 10 City Council Committee of the Whole Minutes Novembert 26, 2007 Councilmember Hernandez helped served Thanksgiving dinner at the Rotary's Thanksgiving Senior Celebration on November 21, 2007. Councilmember Carter attending a SCATBd meeting on November 20, 2007, where discussion focused on local transportation funding needs for projects and maintenance /operations and possible funding sources, as well as other funding options due to the failure of Proposition 1. Councilmember Haggerton had no report. Councilmember Linder expressed thanks to Kimberly Matej, Council Analyst, for her assistance in facilitating the removal of the storage container that had been located in the right -of -way on Macadam Road for the past week. Councilmember Robertson is gathering information from the National League of Cities on the idea of a Community Service Officer, which other jurisdictions have employed for duties such as code enforcement, animal control, writing parking tickets, and supervising prisoners on work duty. Council President Griffin displayed three new publications she recently received from the National League of Cities' Education Families Committee. c. Staff Rhonda Berry, City Administrator, discussed the recent walk -out by approximately 200 Foster High School students who were participating in a national effort to protest the war in Iraq. She noted it was a peaceful and orderly march from the school to City Hall (on Southcenter Blvd.). d. City Attorney The City Attorney's presence is not required at Committee of the Whole meetings. e. Intergovernmental Kimberly Matej reminded everyone the deadline to RSVP for Mayor Mullet's send -off party is Wednesday, November 28, 2007. ADJOURNMENT 10:58:29 p.m. COUNCIL PRESIDENT GRIFFIN DECLARED THE COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE MEETING ADJOURNED. Verna Griffin, Council President did4vtitkl 24)04n Barbara Saxton, Adminittrative Support Coordinator